Associate, Client Services

Harrison Gray Search has partnered with a San Francisco-based private investment office seeking an Associate on their Client Services team in San Francisco.

In addition to their role as an investment manager, our client serves as a full-service Family Office. Our client's success as an investor has been based upon the values of integrity, teamwork, innovation, and sound judgment. They have assets under management across a broad array of asset classes, investing in fund of funds and directly, and has a unique and long-term focus in its investment program. Their investment strategy is to identify opportunities with the potential for superior returns, with a focus on investing for the long term. They invest directly through teams of professionals they sponsor as well as through other external managers. Our client considers itself a "business investor" due to its operating orientation and its commitment to partnership with its managers and portfolio companies to create value over the medium to long term.

CULTURE

Our client fosters a welcoming and inclusive culture that values each individual's unique ideas, perspectives, and backgrounds. They feel that all their employees have ideas worth hearing and they have created a collaborative and collegial environment in which all are empowered to do their best work.

They believe that their firm is only as good as its people. This is why they invest so heavily in their employees' ongoing education, career development, and holistic well-being. Mentorship is one of their core values and they take the development and growth of their people seriously. Employees at all levels and functions receive support to help them grow their technical, business, and leadership expertise relative to their functional area. As a relatively smaller organization, all employees can make a visible impact on the firm, be recognized, and grow their careers in meaningful ways.

Outreach and philanthropy are at the core of what they do and who they are as members of their community. They encourage and celebrate the contributions of employees in the community. Through their Foundation, they offer various ways for employees to make an impact, including employee-organized volunteer events, an annual fundraiser, and Annual Giving Month, to name a few. They also offer generous volunteer time off (VTO), donation matching, and service awards for employees who volunteer and/or serve on the governing board of an eligible organization.

WHY THIS ROLE IS IMPORTANT

The role of the Associate on the Client Services team is to support senior team members with services related to banking, insurance, charitable giving, reporting and analysis, and other client service activities. The needs of their clients continue to evolve, and they are consistently looking for ways to provide a more tailored and personalized client experience to align with their wealth, their values, and their goals.

YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS

The success of the Client Services team relies heavily on the accuracy of work, overall engagement, building trust with clients and internal teams, and providing best-in-class service to clients.

The following outlines the tangible contributions of a successful Client Services Associate:

Execution of Tasks/Projects

1. Support the Client Services team in responding to daily, often high-volume, client requests requiring exceptional responsiveness, thoughtfulness, and attention to detail.
2. Review client-related invoices, facilitate client approval, and coordinate/track payments by the accounting team.
3. Review monthly and quarterly client reports prepared by internal teams and identify areas of discussion prior to distribution to clients. Review of reports includes checking data integrity, spelling and grammar, and formatting consistency across the custom reports, and effectively communicating any edits or questions with internal partners.
4. Use clients' financial and investment data to prepare various schedules and analyses for management to facilitate decision-making. Coordinate with various departments, including accounting and tax teams, to gather information needed.
5. Assist in managing insurance policies for the clients' property and casualty insurance programs.
6. Draft letters and memos for senior members of the team as needed.
7. Assist in the preparation of schedules and documents for client foundations. Track donation activity, interface with grantee organizations, and prepare quarterly investment performance reports.

Client Support

1. Assist senior team members with financial and estate planning activities.
2. Assist in providing banking services, including credit card applications and other banking needs.
3. Assist with providing hands-on transactional support for clients' real estate and other significant transactions by working through established relationships with bankers, realtors, attorneys, escrow officers, mortgage brokers, insurance brokers, and contractors; review various contracts, agreements, and leases.
4. Assist clients with establishing utility and other accounts with various third-party service vendors.
5. Assist with arranging background checks for clients' potential domestic employees, and establishing payroll and medical/dental insurance coverage.
6. Monitor client credit reports for unusual activity and follow up on such items promptly.
7. Assist with other projects and tasks as requested.

Organization and Record-Keeping

1. Utilize Salesforce to manage and maintain client information.
2. Develop and document policies and procedures for handling client requests.
3. Organize outstanding to-do items and provide senior team members with regular updates.

KEY PROFICIENCIES

1. Knowledge or exposure to core financial concepts - including but not limited to cash flow management, investing, financial statements, estate and gift planning, trust structuring, tax strategies, and retirement planning. Ability to read, analyze, and interpret financial reports and legal documents. Ability to analyze and synthesize large data sets.
2. Technical skills - fluency with the MS Office Suite, including strong MS Excel skills. Experience with Salesforce or other contact management (CRM) tools is a plus.
3. Strong Project Management Skills - ability to own and drive projects from start to finish, can identify key steps, and spot issues.
4. Highly organized/Attention to detail - ability to solve complex problems, triage competing priorities, and carry out assigned responsibilities in an organized manner. Exhibit skills to adapt well to a complex, demanding, and evolving work environment.
5. Self-starter and deadline-driven - ability to understand and follow procedures, and work in a complex, demanding, and fast-paced work environment. Exhibit good judgment and ability to work effectively under pressure and under tight time constraints.
6. Effective communicator - exhibits strong people skills evidenced in both verbal and written communications, as well as excellent listening skills. Comfort with and strong inclination to reach out and follow up on inquiries with internal and external contacts, as well as respond promptly to inquiries from others within the department and externally.
7. Drive efficient processes - inclination towards process improvement, controls, and standardization of processes. Ability to use judgment to consistently look for ways to improve processes, and confidence to provide recommendations for improvement.

WHO YOU WILL WORK WITH

You will join the Client Services team which is made up of 15+ members. They are further organized into smaller sub-teams supporting different family lines.

Their mission is to deliver clients a best-in-class, holistic client services offering, which aligns with the clients' needs and goals. They strive to ensure that their clients are aware and are able to take advantage of their breadth of offerings.

This team is client-facing and the main point of contact for the clients. The team is fast-paced, high-functioning, and highly collaborative. They are looking for a like-minded candidate who is able to clearly communicate and execute on the vision. The work they do requires them to work under pressure and provide a high-quality work product. You will be responsible for assisting senior team members with recurring and one-off projects and improving operational efficiencies.

On the Client Services team, you will be part of a group that will invest in your professional development. They are a tight-knit team that believes in taking the time to train and coach so that you can continue to grow. This is a role where you can hone your technical skills, build long-term relationships, and develop your leadership style.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

This is a full-time, exempt position. Our client offers highly competitive compensation packages, commensurate with related work experience and education.

Our client also offers excellent benefits for eligible employees available on the date of hire. Current benefits include but are not limited to:

• Medical (PPO, HMO, and HDHPs);
• Dental and vision coverage;
• 401(k) with a 5% employer match plus an annual employer contribution;
• Life insurance and disability insurance;
• HSA contribution when enrolled in HDHP;
• Flexible Savings Account (FSA);
• Dependent care account;
• Transit/parking assistance;
• Flexible time off/vacation (no caps);
• Paid medical leave;
• 20 weeks of paid parental leave;
• A generous childcare stipend for qualified families;
• Infertility benefit;
• An employee assistance program (EAP) including access to financial advice, mental health services, health advocacy services, and ongoing education assistance.
• In support of the organization's core values, they also offer paid time off to volunteer for nonprofit organizations as well as direct grants and matching grants for employee contributions to tax-exempt organizations.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• The health and safety of their people is a top priority. That is why all offers of employment, where legally permitted, are contingent on the candidate being either (i) fully vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19 or (ii) having received the COVID-19 bivalent-updated vaccine to pass the pre-employment requirements.
• Individuals with medical issues or sincerely held religious beliefs or practices that prevent them from getting the vaccine may request an accommodation to this requirement.
• Employees must be available to work in person, Tuesday - Thursday, in the San Francisco office.

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